Virginia, 2024

Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in Virginia, January 14 to 16, 2024

January 14 to 16, 2024 · NWS RNK · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

An upper level storm system entered the Mid Mississippi Valley late January 14 into early January 15 with a nearly stationary front across the Carolinas. A wave of low pressure moving east along the front combined with sub-freezing temperatures helped generate accumulating snow that began before the morning commute hours and continued into the evening of the 15th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS RNK wrote it up.

An upper level storm system entered the Mid Mississippi Valley late January 14 into early January 15 with a nearly stationary front across the Carolinas. A wave of low pressure moving east along the front combined with sub-freezing temperatures helped generate accumulating snow that began before the morning commute hours and continued into the evening of the 15th.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 14, 3:19 PM EST, 8 hours 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 14, 3:19 PM EST, 8 hours 36 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 14, 3:22 PM EST, 8 hours 33 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 heavy snow, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Tazewell

When
January 14, 11:55 PM EST to January 16, 1:35 AM EST
Where
Tazewell forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
37.125, -81.561 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of three to six inches were measured across Tazewell county, including a report of 4.5 inches by a trained spotter in Raven. Key impacts: traffic delays and accidents and power outages.

Heavy Snow, Smyth

When
January 15, 12:35 AM EST to 11:55 PM EST
Where
Smyth forecast zone
Reported by
Law Enforcement
Coordinates
36.844, -81.537 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snow accumulations of four to eight inches fell across Smyth county, including a report of 8.0 inches in Marion. Key impacts: traffic delays and accidents as well as scattered power outages.

Heavy Snow, Botetourt

When
January 15, 3:45 AM EST to 11:30 PM EST
Where
Botetourt forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
37.557, -79.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall accumulations range from two to five inches across Botetourt county, including a measurement of 4.8 in Blue Ridge. Key impacts: traffic delays and scattered power outages.

Heavy Snow, Floyd

When
January 15, 3:55 AM EST to 11:45 PM EST
Where
Floyd forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
36.932, -80.362 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall accumulations ranged from four to six inches across Floyd county, including a measurement of 5.0 inches in Floyd. Key impacts: traffic delays and accidents, as well as scattered power outages.

Heavy Snow, Roanoke

When
January 15, 3:55 AM EST to 11:45 PM EST
Where
Roanoke forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
37.258, -80.016 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall accumulations ranged from three to four inches across Roanoke and Roanoke County, including a report of 3.5 inches at Bent Mountain. Key impacts: traffic delays and accidents.

Heavy Snow, Rockbridge

When
January 15, 4:00 AM EST to 11:50 PM EST
Where
Rockbridge forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
37.774, -79.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall accumulations ranged from three to four inches across Rockbridge county, including a report of 3.8 inches was measured in Fairfield. Key impacts: traffic delays and accidents.

Heavy Snow, Grayson

When
January 15, 5:55 AM EST to 7:35 PM EST
Where
Grayson forecast zone
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
36.657, -81.225 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Snowfall accumulations ranged from two to eight inches across Grayson county, including a report of 6.0 inches in Troutdale. Key impacts: traffic delays and accidents and localized power outages.

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Virginia in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Virginia, January 2024

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1154791, 1154795, 1155413, 1155411, 1155412, 1155414, 1155410.